


Remembrance Day

by froggle



Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Oh God There's Angst Again, Remembrance Day, idek if there's any fluff in this, maybe a tiny bit but that's it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:48:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27508621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/froggle/pseuds/froggle
Summary: This isn't the first remembrance day Button House has seen, but it feels different since Alison grew closer to The Captain.
Relationships: The Captain (Ghosts TV 2019)/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Remembrance Day

**Author's Note:**

> before you read this fic, i would recommend you read the previous part of this series (in love with a ghost).
> 
> this is very sad so prepare to cry. someone give Everyone a hug.

Alison woke up and stretched. She sleepily looked out of the window, expecting the Captain to be there as usual, waiting for his morning run. He wasn’t. Alison found this confusing - as Captain wasn’t one to be late - until she remembered the day. 

It was the 11th of November, Remembrance Day. She’s usually not been affected very much by it, as before she’d met the ghosts, she couldn’t think of any in her family who’d served in either World War. That had of course changed. Alison felt a pang in her heart as she thought of Captain. This wasn’t her first Remembrance Day being in Button House, but she’d grown closer to the ghosts, especially Captain, since the last one.

The ghosts seemed a bit absent and quiet when Alison came downstairs for breakfast, which was to be expected considering the day, but the silence felt different. She found all but one ghost gathered in the ballroom. She didn’t have to look twice to know who was missing. Her heart twanged a second time.

“Good morning, Alison.” Pat smiled sadly.

Alison gave a half-smile back.

“Is he… okay?” She asked.

“He’s…” Pat started. “None of us have seen him much today. We decided it’d be best if we let him be alone for a while.”

Alison sighed and mouthed a small thanks at Pat. Just then, there was a knock at the door. That was strange, Alison wasn’t expecting anyone.

“Oh my God, hi, Danyal!” She greeted, trying to hide her growing concern for the Captain. Her guests were both dressed in black and red and wore poppies on their chests.

“Hello, Alison,” Danyal said. “Sorry I didn’t tell you I was coming, it was kind of a last-minute decision. I just thought that… one of your residents might appreciate my company today.”

“No, it’s fine, I understand. Come in.” She let her friend and his daughter in. “No-one’s really seen him today. We’re… giving him some space.”

Danyal nodded understandingly. Kat had been unusually quiet, until she saw a figure appear in the corner of her eyes.

“Daddy…” She said, pointing to the lone soldier, who hadn’t yet noticed them.

Alison opened her mouth to call the Captain, but then paused when she saw him catch her eyes. Captain was unlike himself. He stood, frozen. Alison looked at him to make sure it was okay to approach him.

“What’s he here for?” Captain spoke with uneven breaths.

“He wanted to see you.” Alison said quietly. “Dan cares about you, as do all of us.”

Captain turned to Alison with tearful eyes and said nothing. 

“We understand it’s a difficult day for you. The ghosts wanted to give you some time to yourself because they - and I - love you, even if they may not admit it. But it’s fine if you want us around. As good as it is to have alone time, you don’t have to be alone today. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but if you want company just say the word. Okay?” Alison looked comfortingly at Cap who was turned away from her and gulping back tears. Cap nodded.

“I wonder,” He finally managed to say. “If we - all of us - could go into the garden at 1100 hours?”

Alison smiled and gave a nod. She went back over to Dan and Kat.

“Is he okay?” Dan asked intently.

Alison looked at the ghost.

“Yes,” She glanced at the time on her phone - three minutes to 11. “I just need to do something, follow me.” She led her guests into the ballroom with the other ghosts. “Look, um, Captain wants us all to be in the garden at 11 for the two minutes’ silence. Yeah, um, he’s had his alone time, and I think he really needs you all to be there for him.”

Everyone, Mike now included, was gathered in the garden. Alison brought her laptop into the garden and placed it on a marble pedestal. A nation-wide live broadcast was due to start in just under a minute. Big Ben struck 11 and the silence began. Alison stood beside the Captain, Kat was holding hands with Alison and her dad. Mike stood the other side of the Captain, the rest of the ghosts behind him. Alison couldn’t help but notice a few tears fall from the soldier’s face, and shared his sadness.

The two minutes was up and gradually the ghosts exited the garden. First to go were Fanny and Julian who went seconds apart. Next were Thomas, Mary and Kitty, Kitty desperately wanted to say some comforting words and so she approached him, but couldn’t say anything. Mary was close behind Kitty but gestured for Kitty to come away and go back inside. Thomas took in a breath ready to say something, but like Kitty, he couldn’t. Robin went up to Captain and patted him on the shoulder before he left. Pat stepped forward and turned his face towards Cap’s, and mouthed  _ you okay?  _ \- to which Cap nodded - and gave him a thumbs up and followed Robin. Mike looked vaguely in Cap’s direction and said:

“I hope you feel better soon.”

“Th-thank you, Michael.” Cap replied.

“He says thank you.” Alison whispered to her husband as he awkwardly left. There was silence again. Kat was still tightly gripping the hands she was holding and had her eyes shut. Dan contemplated what the Captain was thinking. Kat listened to the autumn breeze and the passing calls of birds. Alison continued to stand by Cap.

“Dan’s awfully smart, don’t you think, Alison?” Cap said at last, clearing his throat.

She nodded and told Dan what the ghost had said. Dan looked in the direction of Cap - better than Mike had - and thanked him. Cap’s cheeks went slightly pink. “Can you, um, thank Mr Danyal for being here?” He said without thinking. Alison did, and Cap’s cheeks became a darker shade of pink.

“Honestly, it’s no trouble. Kat here was off school today because of a doctor’s appointment and she wanted to come here for her birthday. I thought it was sad she had an appointment today, so I obliged!”

Kat gave a big grin at Cap.

“I’m seven!” She announced.

“Again,” Alison smiled. “Thank you for coming. I think it cheered Cap up at least somewhat.”

There was a slightly shorter pause than the previous one.

“Alison, this may sound odd, but can I talk with Kat alone for a few minutes?” Cap asked.

“Of course.” Alison replied, slightly confused but wanting to help Cap as much as she could. Her and Dan left the two alone. Kat removed her hearing aids to hear the Captain.

“You’ve lost a tooth since I last saw you,” He stated. “You had just one last time I saw you, isn’t that right?”

“Yes!” Kat said, showing off the gap her two front missing teeth had left. “Thank you for noticing!”

Cap smiled back at her. Kat had that effect on people; getting them to smile.

“Oh, and, happy seventh birthday.” He added.

Kat opened her eyes and her expression shifted suddenly. She stared into the distance. Cap became nervous at how quickly her demeanor had changed.

“It’s sad having a birthday today. Everyone’s sad because it’s Poppy Day. I’m sad because others are sad. I didn’t get to go to school today. Others would do anything to get out of school, but I’m not in school most days because I can’t hear. I would have liked to be at school.” Kat plonked herself on the ground, folded her arms and started sulking.

“There, there, Kat,” Cap sat down next to her (his joints cracked). He wasn’t really used to comforting people, and the only emotional advice he’d given was to bury them - and he’d experienced firsthand how that worked out. “You’ll be okay. I’m a little sad as well, so perhaps we can just sit here for a short while and be sad together.”

Kat grunted.

“I’d like that.”

And so, the garden was silent, again.

“So, um,” Kat started after she’d rested her voice and finished sulking. “Are you mourning anyone special?” She realised what she’d said and quickly apologised. 

“No, no, it’s quite alright.” Cap sighed, staring into the distance as Kat had. “I do have someone special in mind.” He blinked and a single tear fell from his eye. 

“He left me, I-I mean he left for the front, yes. He wanted to get more involved in the fighting, you see. I, um, I let him go, of course, because I could see he wanted to go. But, I, good lord, um, felt myself not wanting him to go. I still think about him. I can’t think why. So yes, I suppose he was, is, rather special to me, yes.”

“Sounds like it.” Kat beamed at Cap. Just like when she saw him looking at her dad, she knew exactly what he was talking about, even if he didn’t know it yet. “What was his name, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Havers. William Havers.” Cap said sadly.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you. Forget I asked you.” Kat got up. “I hope you do feel better soon. I think I need to go now, I’m a bit cold.”

“Yes, I suppose it will be getting rather cold. I’ll be perfectly alright, don’t you worry too much about me.”

Kat went back inside and Cap slowly got back up (his knees cracked again) and followed the girl. She was now babbling incomprehensibly to her dad about whatever came to mind. Alison was about to ask Cap how he was doing when he answered her question just as she opened her mouth.

“I’m feeling a touch better, don’t trouble yourself.”

“Glad to hear it, Captain.” Alison said. “The ghosts have been awkwardly sat in silence, I think they still miss you a bit.”

Cap let out a short exhale and the corners of his mouth upturned. 

“I will, um, go and see them now. Thank you, Alison.”

“My pleasure, Captain.”


End file.
